The Solution to Tomato Overload: Make Tomato Dust

At Clay Pigeon Food and Drink in Fort Worth, Texas, chef Marcus Paslay suffers from the same late summer/early fall quandary as many of the rest of us: what to do with an overabundance of late season tomatoes. His solution is to make tomato dust, which gives his dishes a vibrant color and concentrated, umami-packed flavor.

At Clay Pigeon Food and Drink in Fort Worth, Texas, chef Marcus Paslay suffers from the same late summer/early fall quandary as many of the rest of us: what to do with an overabundance of late season tomatoes. His solution is to make tomato dust, which gives his dishes a vibrant color and concentrated flavor. He describes the simple process:

1. Cut tomatoes in half and scoop out any liquid so that only the “meat” of the tomatoes remains.

2. Put the tomatoes in a dehydrator for 24 hours. If you don’t have a dehydrator, place the tomatoes in an oven on the lowest setting (ideally about 100–125 degrees) on a rack over a sheet tray to allow for air circulation. Check the tomatoes every few hours until dry and brittle.

3. Use a coffee or spice grinder to pulse the dry tomatoes into a fine powder.

Once ground, the powder has a myriad of uses. Three of Paslay’s favorites: